Sub class Actinopterygii The ray-finned fishes

Other Orders - Tetraodontiformes – Pufferfish, burrfish and porcupinefish - mostly marine, but a few freshwater species – Tetraodotoxin or tetrodoxin

Other Orders - Tetraodontiformes – Tetraodotoxin or tetrodoxin Fugu

Other Orders - Tetraodontiformes Ocean Sunfish – 3 species Most fecund vertebrate - >300 million eggs

Other Orders – Pleuronectiformes - flatfishes Benthic, mostly marine - both eyes on same side of head Eyes on both sides as juveniles, one migrates to other side as individual matures Both left and right eyed families

Other Orders - Pleuronectiformes 570 species - flounder, soles, halibut

Other Marine Vertebrates Class Reptilia Order Testudines - Sea turtles Family Dermochelyidae Family Cheloniidae - 1 species - 6 species

Other Marine Vertebrates – sea turtles Family Dermochelyidae Family Cheloniidae - all listed or protected by at least one international conservation organization - usually have both herbivorous and carnivorous life stages - associated with coral reefs during two life-stages 1) immature (growth) and adult foraging (before reproductive activities) 2) pre-nesting by females

Other Marine Vertebrates – sea turtles Family Dermochelyidae Family Cheloniidae Generalized life history

Other Marine Vertebrates – sea turtles Family Dermochelyidae - largest turtle in the world – up to 6 ft - only turtle that is functional endotherm - can raise body temperature 18 C above ambient water temp - can dive to 1230 m (4,000 ft) - diet is 90% jellyfish Leatherback

Other Marine Vertebrates – sea turtles Family Dermochelyidae - Leatherback esophagus is lined with spines to prevent jellyfish from swimming out

Other Marine Vertebrates – sea turtles Family Dermochelyidae - Leatherback body temperature is maintained above surrounding seawater - counter-current blood flow system in flippers - thermal inertia - large size and thick layer of fat under skin counter-current blood flow

Other Marine Vertebrates – sea turtles Family Cheloniidae – Flatback Turtle Loggerhead Turtle Hawksbill Turtle Olive Ridley Turtle

Other Marine Vertebrates – sea turtles Family Cheloniidae Kemp’s Ridley Turtle - rarest of the marine turtles - ~2000 nests in one location

Other Marine Vertebrates – sea turtles Family Cheloniidae Green Turtle – most common marine turtle - 20 nesting locations

Family Dermochelyidae Family Cheloniidae Sex Determination In most turtles, sex is determined by the incubation temperature of the nest. This is called temperature dependent sex determination (TSD). There are three major patterns of TSD. A.Males at high temps B.Males at low temps C.Males at intermediate temps

Conservation of marine turtles - By-catch - Poaching/Products - Predation - Disease - Pollution

Conservation of marine turtles - By-catch: both long-line fishing and shrimp fishing/trawling TEDs

Conservation of marine turtles - Poaching - turtle products

Conservation of marine turtles - Predation

Conservation of marine turtles -Disease - fibropapilloma tumors herpes type virus – no known cause

Conservation of marine turtles -Pollution Light plastics

Other marine reptiles Order Squamata Family Elapidae - sea snakes (also includes cobras, kraits, coral snakes) - ~ 70 species are marine - all marine species are limited to Indian and Pacific Oceans - most species are fully aquatic, never leaving the water - strong neurotoxins, but rarely aggressive Olive seasnake Yellow-bellied seasnake

Other marine reptiles Family Elapidae - Venom delivery mechanism Proteroglyphous- a single, fixed, hollow fang on the anterior of each maxilla.

Other marine reptiles Family Elapidae - toxicity Venom toxicity - The most common measure of toxicity is the LD-50. This is the amount of a substance that is required to kill 50% of the test animals (e.g. mice or rats) in one dose. Name LD-50(mg/kg)Range Box Jellyfish ? South Pacific/Australia Taipan 0.025Australia Brown Snake Australia Yellow Sea Snake 0.067Pacific Ocean Chinese Cobra 0.29China Pufferfish 0.334tropical oceans Timber Rattlesnake 5.1North America

Marine Mammals – Class Mammalia Mammals first appear in fossil record about 220 mya at least three lineages have invaded the marine environment Carnivora 1 species Pinnipedia 34 Sirenia 4 Cetacea 90

Marine Mammals – Class Mammalia Most important adaptations - conservation of body heat – large size, blubber - extremely efficient at absorbing/conserving oxygen - carry higher conc.of red blood cells, more hemoglobin in blood - muscles carry more myoglobin

Marine Mammals – Class Mammalia - extremely efficient at absorbing/conserving oxygen Up to 30 min. Over an hour 4-5 min.

Marine Mammals – Class Mammalia Carnivora Pinnipedia Found in cold waters Tail is modified pair of hindlimbs All are carnivorous Most reach large body sizes – conform to Bergmann’s Rule

Marine Mammals – Class Mammalia Bergmann’s Rule (1847) – within a given group of organisms, those with larger body sizes will be found at higher latitudes Elephant seal – 20’ California Harbor seal – 6’ Larger animals have a lower surface area to volume ratio – radiate less heat

dugong manatee Found in warm waters, fully aquatic All are the only herbivorous marine mammals Have lost hindlimbs entirely Three manatee species occur in Atlantic Ocean coastal areas - Dugong occurs from East Africa to western Pacific islands

All four species of conservation concern, all listed as CITES species CITES = Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species Stellar’s Sea Cow Commander Islands Described by science in 1741 Extinct by 1768

Marine Mammals – Class Mammalia Cetaceans Mostly found in colder waters – warmer waters for reproduction Most complete transformation to aquatic life very streamlined bodies loss of hindlimbs strong convergent evolution

Marine Mammals – Class Mammalia Cetaceans Most complete transformation to aquatic life very streamlined bodies – speeds up to 40 mph blowhole at top of head – some species can empty and refill lungs in 2 second most efficient use of oxygen Best developed system of echolocation

Marine Mammals – Class Mammalia Cetaceans Two groups – Baleen Whales Toothed Whales 18 species 72 species